Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research
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During 2020 and 2021, the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respi- ratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in high death rates and acute and chronic morbidity in all countries. The rapid development of new mRNA vaccines to SARS-CoV-2 brings hope that the spread of this virus can be controlled. ⋯ Studies have begun to in- vestigate whether antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike cross-react with platelet factor 4 (PF4/CXLC4) and mim- ic autoimmune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. This Medical Science Monitor Editorial aims to briefly update the current status of studies on a possible rare complication of using new mRNA vaccines to prevent COVID-19.
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Several studies reported low nasal nitric oxide (nNO) levels in subjects with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and proposed nNO measurement as a diagnostic tool to screen for the disease. All these reports used the aspiration nNO method. The goal of this study was to evaluate nNO in patients with PCD using different methods of NO measurement, including continuous aspiration, silent exhalation, and single-breath humming exhalation, which increases NO wash-out from the paranasal sinuses to the nose. ⋯ nNO is consistently low in PCD with good specificity and sensitivity whatever the method used for NO measurement. The extremely low levels of nNO during humming support the notion that NO is defective in the paranasal sinuses in PCD.
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High tidal volume ventilation can cause inflammatory reaction in lungs. Integrins are associated with regulating lung inflammation and edema following acute lung injury. Integrin alpha v beta 6 expression in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) and the ability of the RGD-peptidomimetic agent S247 to attenuate VILI in rats were investigated. ⋯ Pretreatment with S247 attenuated VILI, suggesting pulmonary epithelial integrins are involved in its pathogenesis and agents such as S247 may be useful in treating it.
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Editorial Comparative Study
The ABCs of research on pulsatile versus nonpulsatile perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass.
The literature suggests that pulsatile flow should be routinely used during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in moderate- to high-risk cardiac surgery patients, especially those who must undergo more than 45 minutes of aortic crossclamping. Nevertheless, the use of pulsatile versus nonpulsatile perfusion remains controversial, mainly owing to a lack of precise, complete quantification of pressure-flow waveforms. This editorial briefly summarizes the major factors, or 'basic ABCs, ' that affect the validity of research in this area. ⋯ C. In conducting clinical trials of the perfusion modes, researchers must use appropriate patient-selection criteria, use pulsatile flow continuously during CPB, and choose extracorporeal-circuit components carefully. By following these basic ABCs, researchers will produce more valid and meaningful results that will translate into better outcomes for CPB patients.